Who Are You Worshipping ? Traditionally Lent is a time of sober spiritual reflection; a time when Christians worldwide reflect upon their personal relationship with Jesus the Christ and the sacrifice Christ made for our redemption and the gift of eternal life. Lent gives the Christian community another opportunity to publish the greatest love story ever told: the death, burial, AND resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We joyfully and reverently share the story of how Jesus the Christ, wrapped in humanity, offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for our sins; thereby purchasing our redemption and securing our eternal security with the Father and the Lamb of God (Ac 20:28 & Re 22:3). It’s also a time when we contemplate the humanity, passion, and love of God as expressed through His son: Jesus the Christ (Heb. 1:1-3). The apostle Paul compares the sinful works of Adam to the righteous works of Christ by presenting Christ as the second Adam who was made a quickening spirit; and in whom everyone born of him lives; whereas everyone born after the first Adam—who was made flesh—die (1Co 15:22 & 45). Adam was (as are we) created in the image of God. He possessed many (if not all) of the attributes of God except the knowledge of good and evil. It seems to reason that God meant for Adam and Eve to acquire this knowledge but in a way which God prescribed. Obviously the first step in acquiring this knowledge was to believe God—his creator—was God and his “logov” Word was true. The serpent’s lie to Adam was that God was being unfair to Adam and Eve by not allowing them to eat of this tree. Satan charged that God was being unjust and untruthful with them in forbidding them access to the tree and its knowledge. With this new found knowledge of good and evil, says Satan, they would not die but would become a God. As a result of their disobedience to God’s word, Adam and Eve obtained the “forbidden” knowledge but at a terrible cost—sin entered the world and death (Ro 5:12-14). Adam and Eve fell into a sinful nature and henceforth humanity was cursed to carry the infection of sin. Sadly, the image of God was corrupted. Humanity had lost its innocence, and in a short time humans lost any fear of God and God was replaced by idols. People began to worship everything imaginable: trees, animals, insects, the earth, sun, moon, etc and even humans themselves. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and so forth worshipped humans (usually the king) as a god, Regardless of all the majestic royal splendor, pomp, and arrogance humans display; people are still dust and ashes (Gen. 3:19). Paul tells the Corinthians that...the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. In other words everyone falls prey to mortality: there are no exceptions and no survivors. It claims the young and old, rich and poor, great and small, it arrives most often unannounced and untimely, is not prejudiced, and never discriminates. Death is one of the many enemies that war against the soul and is the last enemy to be destroyed (1Co 15:26 & Re 20:14). The only cure for death is for one to seek healing in Christ Jesus. Not only is Jesus the great physician he is also the great psychiatrist. He had perfect insight into the human mind and experience; and understood the dangers of lifting oneself up in pride. It was no accident that Christ was born into a family of no reputation, no great wealth, no great social status. Until he began his ministry he lived in obscurity. Throughout his ministry he sought no fame and deflected all praise and adoration to God—his father! He knew who was worthy to be worshipped and who deserved true praise—and it wasn't man! He would heal people and often charged those healed not to tell anyone about it but go show themselves to the priest (Mr 7:36, Lu 5:14). Jesus the son of God went about doing good without any need of praise or payment. He once told a potential disciple that the son of man had no place to lay his head (Lu 9:58). He didn't journey around cultivating attention or boasting:” don’t you know who I am?" He didn't seek to be "popular" or to be the most "sought after" dinner guest. Once when Jesus was traveling through the country of the Gadarenes, an entire town came out to greet him. The welcoming committee told him he wasn’t welcomed there, so they asked him to keep going (Mt 8:34). Jesus knew—as did the apostle Paul—that humans were not created to be worshipped (Ro. 1:21-25). Jesus taught his disciples that only God is “good” and worthy of praise and worship (Mr 10:18, Mt 4:10). History is awash in people that lifted themselves up in pride and became deluded into worshipping everything but God. Fame and fortune is as intoxicating as any narcotic. In the early 1970s Charles Colson wasn’t know for his Christian testimony. Then he was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by powerful politicians during his four years of service to President Nixon. A ruler came running to Christ asking him what "DEED or GOOD THING" must I do to be saved? In his mind—as was Jewish teaching—he saw salvation was obtained through some personal effort: i.e. the LAW. By keep a system of rules and regulations coupled with good deeds salvation—again a traditional Jewish teaching—was assured. But he was unsure if his good deeds were enough and sought the answer and assurance from Christ. Jesus saw the problem that interfered with his assurance in God. This man’s particular problem was: he had great possessions (money) which he coveted. Covetousness is IDOLATRY and idolatry is anything we worship and bow down to other than GOD! This young man had allowed his quest and accumulation of possessions to become his life: it was his God. Jesus told him to do two things: sell all you have and give it to the poor and follow me (Lu 18:22)! Did he happily comply? Many American "celebrities" gain all that life can offer: wealth, power, status; or as some call it, living the "American dream." These people are admired and adored by millions of people. These celebrities live on the treacherous slippery slope of humans worshipping humans: receiving, accepting, and cultivating the praises “of men” (as the scripture refers to it). For any human to actually believe he or she is “somebody special” and worthy of praise has deceived themselves and has an inflated self-image—some call it narcissism. Most of us know “our place” yet some people believe they are "somebody special," "worthy," and “entitled” to receive all this adoration and praise. Some celebrities fall into a self-destructive lifestyle, spinning out of control and their “dream" turns into a nightmare. How many American celebrities can you think that have been in and out of drug/alcohol rehab? Have served time in prison? Have been married multiple times? Have died a sudden and tragic death? And so on! More often than not their downward spiral is a direct result of their fame and fortune.
In myself I am nothing but In Christ Jesus: I am somebody!
—God’s Peace and Blessing, Please take a moment to send us feedback about this article. © 2007 Curtis W. Bond All rights reserved
|
| posted 03/01/2007 |
True worship and true praise belongs to God. Paul told the Athenians that our very life and being is from God (Ac 17:28). In other words without God we are nothing (John 15:5). As humans residing in this flesh waiting for the redemption of our mortal bodies we cannot glory in God’s presence (1Co 1:29). As humans there is nothing we can offer God except faith in Christ Jesus! The Apostle Peter wrote…For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away (1Pe 1:24). Before we can appreciate Christ and his redeeming work we must understand AND acknowledge “our place” before God. We should not be lifted up in fleshly pride and should…not think of [ourselves] more highly than we ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every person the measure of faith…for if a person thinks themselves to be something, when they are nothing, they deceive themselves (Ga 6:3; Ro 12:3).